MANY individuals enjoy a juicy starfruit as a refreshing treat.
It is often touted for its vitamin C content and unique flavour, making it a popular addition to fruit salads and drinks.
However, behind its sweet and tangy taste lies a potential danger for a specific group of people, but is it true that starfruit can cause kidney failure?
Verdict:
TRUE
Starfruit (also known as carambola) can pose a significant health risk for individuals with already impaired kidney function.
While the fruit is considered generally safe for healthy people, it contains high levels of oxalic acid as well as a potent neurotoxin called caramboxin.
For healthy individuals, their kidneys are efficient enough to filter out these harmful substances.
Saying that, research has shown that if a healthy individual ate several kilograms of the fruit in one sitting, or drank concentrated starfruit juice, they ran the risk of developing oxalate nephropathy thereby wrecking their kidneys.
However, for those who already suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) or kidney failure, even a single starfruit or a small amount of its juice can be extremely dangerous.
Their impaired kidneys cannot would not be able to effectively remove the oxalic acid and caramboxin from their blood, which would lead to a rapid build-up of these toxins and result in severe symptoms.
Symptoms of starfruit poisoning in susceptible individuals include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hiccups, mental confusion, weakness, numbness, seizures, and even coma or death in severe cases.
Medical intervention, including dialysis, might be required to remove the toxins from the body.
The medical community’s consensus is that while starfruit was a healthy snack for most, it poses a severe risk for individuals with any degree of kidney impairment.
As with anything in life, it’s the does that makes the poison.
References:
1. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-
2. https://www.healthline.com/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
6. https://academic.oup.com/